Month: September 2013

Sep 30, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
With an estimated 80% of conference attendees having smartphones at their disposal, is it any wonder they are constantly distracted by them? Now smartphones and tablets have a cool name when it comes to presentations: Second Screen Technology. What is it you might ask and how can it benefit your meeting?
Second Screen Technology (SST) turns every attendee's device into an extension of the PowerPoint presentation equipment in the front of the room. It allows the user to see the slid...

Sep 27, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Everyone's talking about, yet no one really understands how it will be used. I'm talking, of course, about Google Glass. If this technology takes off, it will definitely have a place in the meeting and event industry.
Today, we will define what Glass is, provide you a short video to see how it can be used, prepare event organizers for this interactive technology and identify three uses of it.
GOOGLE GLASS DEFINED
Google Glass is a hands-free, head-mounted intelligent ...

Sep 23, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
The old adage by Will Rogers "You never get a second chance to make a good first impression", holds true even with the most sought out professional speaker. Bruce Kasanoff from Now Possible, recently shared on LinkedIn that the first minute of a speaker's stage presence will garner his or her success ratio with the audience.
It boils down to this: If they are engaged, they will listen. If they are not, they will quickly get distracted with their mobile devices.
...

Sep 23, 2013 by Melissa Bailey
Thank you for requesting AV Event Solutions eBook "How to Incorporate New Tools and Technologies into Events and Tradeshows."
We will be sending you an email with a link to download our free eBook. If you want to start saving money, time and the environment using new technology for your next meeting, please use the link below:
DOWNLOAD FREE eBook NOW
Other information you may be interested in:
Understanding Au...

Sep 20, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
PCMA Convene Magazine recently highlighted four organizations that are using social in fun, creative ways to keep meeting participants connected throughout the entire conference and beyond. The conferences are:
iStrategy Digital Marketing Conference
IBM Pulse 2013
National Preservation Conference 2012 and
MPI World Education Congress 2013
Here is what each one did and how they used interactive technology tool rentals to spread the social posts to the rest of the confe...

Sep 18, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
How many times have you walked away from a negotiation because you have dug your heels in on one thing? It might be pricing, availability or something else, but for some reason you did not move the negotiation needle and neither did the other side.
However, what if you consider the uses of an orange to make this process easier? Here's the analogy:
Say there are two people negotiating over the use of one orange. In 99% of the time, the two individuals would cut the o...

Sep 16, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Associations, nonprofits and corporations alike usually hold an annual gathering to recognize their members, board of trustees or employees and thank them for all their hard work over the course of the previous year or their career lifetime. Your job as an event professional is to make the honorees feel like they are receiving the "red carpet" treatment while keeping the audience entertained and engaged.
Here are the do's and don'ts of this type of function:
D...

Sep 13, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
BizBash recently identified the most innovative conferences of 2012 and I have to say, for the most part, each approach was above the fold. Trying to get thousands of individuals to actively participate in convention initiatives can be a bit like herding cats. But in the top 3 conferences -- McDonald's, TED and Cisco -- their approach was well thought out.
Below is a synopsis of what these organizations did and interactive technology tool rental tips to make the implementation of t...

Sep 12, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Do you sometimes walk away from a vendor meeting feeling like you "left money on the table"? That you did not negotiate your best deal? It is the goal of most meeting planners to get the best equipment for the dollars they have allocated for the event.
Here are 7 creative ways to save money when renting audio visual equipment for your next meeting.
Savings #1: Have Options.
Many times, hotel and conference staff will state that you must go with the in-house AV provider. This s...

Sep 09, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
As an event organizer, one of your goals is to provide better visuals to "wow" your attendees.
While 3D can definitely do the trick, you have probably been reticent to use this technology because of the need to put on annoying, dorky glasses to realize the total effect. Thanks to technological advances, that isn't the case any longer!
Research also backs up the power of 3D. According to a 2011 Tilburg University study, attendees had a 45% higher retention rate of the materials being shown on...

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